The Snatchabook

A brilliantly written, laugh-out-loud rhyming text about books and the joy of reading in the vein of New York Times bestsellers It's a Book , How Rocket Learned to Read , and Dog Loves Books .

Where have all the bedtime stories gone?

One dark, dark night in Burrow Down, a rabbit named Eliza Brown found a book and settled down...when a Snatchabook flew into town.

It's bedtime in the woods of Burrow Down, and all the animals are ready for their bedtime story. But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown decides to stay awake and catch the book thief. It turns out to be a little creature called the Snatchabook who has no one to read him a bedtime story. All turns out well when the books are returned and the animals take turns reading bedtime stories to the Snatchabook.

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"One dark, dark night in Burrow Down, a rabbit named Eliza Brown found a book and settled down..." Helen and Thomas Docherty have created a winner with this enchanting story. Thomas Docherty illustrations of night time woods are as comforting and familiar as A Thousand Acre Woods (Milne) A Wind in the Willows (Graham) and Brambly Hedge (Barklem).

My 5.5-year-old son and 3.5-year-old daughter really enjoyed this one! It's a great story to read aloud to them. I also appreciate the lesson on making amends when someone does something wrong. I highly recommend this one!

Something very strange is happening … someone is stealing all the stories! In every house, everyone’s favourite bedtime stories are disappearing! Who could be taking them? Could a lonely little “snatchabook” be responsible? Little Eliza is determined to find out.

Someone was stealing all the stories in Burrow Down!

In every nest, cave and burrow, it was the same. It happened just as the woodland children were settling down to listen to their favourite bedtime tales – stories of fierce dragons, dangerous pirates, beautiful princess and spooky witches and goblins. Their wonderful bedtime books simply disappeared in the blink of an eye, without a sound!

What would you do if this happened to you?

Little Eliza Brown knew just what to do. When her favourite bedtime tale was snatched from her rabbit burrow, she decided to stay awake with a stack of books (as bait) to find the sneaky culprit. And when she discovered the shy, lonely little Snatchabook who really only wanted someone to read to him, Eliza again knew just what do: she shared her books and bedtime stories with him.

Soon the Snatchabook had returned all of the pilfered books, and Burrow Down was peaceful at bedtime once more.

If you visit Burrow Down today, you might just see the Snatchabook “perched happily on someone’s bed … listening hard to each word said!”

Helen and Thomas Docherty’s charming picture book story, which conveys the value of stories and books, is told in rhyme. Appealing, detailed illustrations complete this delightful woodland mystery.